Electric railway-crossing signal.



A. L. 0 v|s. ELECTRIC RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FiLEI] SEPT-26.19%.

Patented July 10, 191?.

flmn Mega ing switch arm, respectively.

. arm 16 connected by a link PAT FllQE;

AGATHA L. DAVIS, OF CLINTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

EIiECTRIC RAILWAY-CROSSING SIGNAL.

Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented July io, rare.

Application filed September 26, 1916. Serial N 0. 122,278.

To all. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I AGATHA L. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Clinton, county of Laurens, State of SouthCarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricRailway-Crossing Signals, of which the following is a full and clearspecification.

This invention relates to that class of .electric railway gates or othercrossing-protecting devices in which the approach of a train to acrossing or station lowers a gate, sounds an audible signal or displaysa visible signal, and which, when the train reaches any desired pointfarther on, causes the gate to be raised or the signals to be returnedto their normal conditions.

The object of this invention is to provide a simply constructed and anefl'ectually working apparatus which will. require a minimum of expenseto install and operate. This object is accomplished by the meansillustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in

which .Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View showing a single track with agate protecting a crossing and the several electrically operated devicesfor operating said gate;

Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation orv the operating arm which is carriedby the train Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the gate postto show the operating means for the gate;

Figs. 4 and 5. are detail perspective views of one of the switch blocksand a cooperat- In all of the figures of the drawing, like referencenumerals designate the same parts. Referring to the drawing, 10designates the trackfrails, 11 the crossing, and 12- the gate orprotector as an entirety. The gate shown is preferably of the usual typehaving a counter-balanced arm 13 and means within its casing 141 foroperating said arm. In the instance shown, the arm ISisfiXed to a shaft15 having secured thereto a crank- 17 to a pitman 18 which is operatedby an electric motor 19, or other electrically operated means.

The gate is caused to be operated to a closed position by operatingswitches located a considerable distance from'and on each side thereof,so that a train passing in either direction will operate ;the same.

These operating switches are identical in every respect, exceptthat'they are oppo armature secured thereon with a metal projection orarma sitely disposed to each other and each is preferably mounted upon asuitable base 20 and consists of a circuit-closer block 21, a magnet 22,and a switch arm 23 having an Circuit-closer blocks 21 are provided withtwo pairs of contacts 24 and 25, respectively, forming circuit closers,the first of which will be termed the magnet contacts and the latter theprotector contacts. Each pair of contacts or circuit closers is providedwith a contact spring 26 which is fixed at one end to one of saidcontacts and normally free from engagement with the other. Each set ofupper or magnet contacts is connected in circuit with a magnet 22 and abattery 27,

and each set of lower or protector contacts I is connected in circuitwith the gate 12 and a v battery 28. Thus when the contacts24 areconnected by the springs 26, the current from the battery 27 flowsthrough the magnet 22 and energizes the same, and, when the contacts 25are connected by their springs, the current from the battery 28 willflow through the electric motor 19 and cause the same to lower the gate.

The springs 26 are pressed into engagement with the free contacts by theswitch arm 23 which is pivoted at 29 to the base and is provided with apush-block 30 of in- "sulating material, which engages both springs 26simultaneously. Thus the maget andgate circults are closed at the sametime, Each switch arm 23 is normallyheld cured at its other end to thelocomotive frame.

'From the above description, it is obvious that when one of the switcharms 23 is moved by the locomotive to close the magnet and gatecircuits, the magnet is energized to retain the switclr arm in thecontacting position, .said switch arm being which cooperates with the'aguet 2 will thusbe seen that the opt iting SWftClldS can be locatedany distance fromthe gate and when the switch arm is closed, the gatewill be lowered to protect the crossing and will remain closed until thecontrolling circarts are broken.

To break the circuits, a cut-out switch,

with thelr free ends projecting toward the track. Said free ends arenormally electrirally connected by a metal plug 37 which rests betweenthem, and said metal plug 37 is mounted upon a lever 38 pivotedintermediate its ends to a suitable support, as at 39, to provide an armit) which projects toward the track and into the path of the push-arm 32on the locomotive. Thus a train traveling in either direction willstrike the arm a0 and swing it upon its pivot to cause its opposite endto spread the spring arms 36 apart and break either magnet circuit whichhas previously been closed.

In operation, a train traveling in the direction of the arrow shown inFig. 1 will first contact with the switch arm 23 at the right-hand sideof the gate, thereby pushing it to cause the push-block 30 to close boththe magnet and gate circuits through the springs 20. The gate circuitbeing thus closed, the electric motor crate to lower the gate. At thesame time, the magnet circuit is closed. which energizes the magnet 22and which will retain the switch arm armature in contacting position andconsequently keep the gate circuit closed and retain the gate in itslowered position. The gate remains lowered until the train reaches thecut-out switch, when the lever 38 is operated to break'the magnetcircuit through the spring arms 36. hen the mag net '22 is deenergiz'ed,this releases the switch arm (which caused to return to normal positionby the spring 31) and consequently breaks the gate circuit and allowsthe gate to rise through the medium of its counterbalancing weights.

It will be observed that the switch arms are pushed by the locomotiveinto contacting position and are not attracted by the magnets'until theyreach the magnets and the magnet circuit is closed by the push Copies ofthis patent may he obtained for 19 is caused to op five cents each, byaddi'essing the the gate and magnet circuits and be positioned to beattracted and retained in contacting position by the magnet.

Furthermore, owing to the push-arm 32 belng resilient, it willmomentarily hold the switch arms 23 in contacting'engagement with theirrespective magnets and circuit closers when it pushes either of theswitch arms into operative position because of the sliding contact;consequently the circuits are certain to close. The same effect issecured when the switch arm 23 engages the arm at) of the cut-outswitch, the contacting springs being momentarily held open to makecertain of the breaking of the switches.

It will be further observed that in this apparatus a double remotecontrol circuit is provided, the second or magnet circuit holding thefirst or protector circuit-closed and also controlling the breaking ofsaid first circuit.

Having thus I claim is:

In an apparatus of the kind described, two separate and independentelectric circuits, one of which is provided with a crossing protectorand a normally opencircuit closer, and the other circuitbeing providedwith a normally closed cut-out switch and a normally open circuit closerand a magnet, and a switch arm independent of said circuit closersandprovided with an armature and adapted to be moved into simultaneouscontact with both of said circuit closers by an 'arm projecting from amoving train, whereby both circuits are simultaneously closed causingthe electric current in one circuit to separately operate the crossingprotector to danger position and separately energize the magnet by thecurrent in the other circuit and hold the armature and its switch arm incontact with the circuit closers to retain the crossing protector indanger position until the cut-out is operated.

described my invention, what In testimony whereof I hereunto affix mysignature.

AGATHA L. DAVIS.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

